It’s been hailed as one of finest online marketing stunts ever to emerge from the North East, but the company behind #DrummondPuddleWatch says it never expected the social media phenomenon to take off to the extent it did.

After observing pedestrians attempt to cross a large, path-blocking puddle near its office on Jesmond Road West, creative agency Drummond Central began streaming a live video of the scene through Periscope, a new Twitter app, on Wednesday.

Soon, interest reached astronomical levels both online and within the media, as people began to turn up with surfboards, lilos and other craft.

“The puddle has been there for a while and we were enjoying watching the range of techniques people were using to negotiate it through our office window,” said Drummond Central managing director Beth Hazon.

“One of our copywriters, Steve Wilkes, suggested that we stream it on Periscope. We like to experiment with things, so we set up the stream for our own amusement really and found it quite addictive viewing.”

So did the rest of the world apparently. On Wednesday, a total of 547,828 people watched the stream, with a peak of about 70,000 watching live.

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The move, she added, was never intended as a marketing tool for Drummond Central - “This was set up for us, by us; we don’t take ourselves too seriously” - but the international exposure had been “amazing”.

“We’re curious people and like to experiment with ideas and platforms,” she said.

“We’re always keen to use new and interesting technology and this is a perfect example of that.

“On Wednesday morning, we never expected to be talking to the international press or appearing live on BBC or CNN talking about a puddle.

“I think it shows the power of reactive social media and the effectiveness of simple ideas.”

Established by Julie and Stephen Drummond in 2004, Drummond Central describes itself on its website as “a strategic marketing, creative and digital agency that researches plans, creates and delivers, readying your brand to be victorious on the battlefield”.

The company, which has seen staff headcount grow from two to 35 during its lifetime, has won numerous awards and currently ranks 18th on Campaign’s list of top agencies outside of London.

Its major clients include the likes of Nexus, Newcastle Building Society, Durham University, NCFE, bet365 and Stoke City Football Club, and - as #DrummondPuddleWatch demonstrates - the agency prides itself on playfulness, creativity and ability to engage through unorthodox methods.

As to its plans for 2016, Ms Hazon summarised: “Do great work, have fun, keep entertaining the masses globally.”